Bowland....Negatives And Positives.

Negatives.

Lets get rid of the negatives first....Over the 5 hours spent in the Tower Lodge and surrounding area this week, I counted 12 nest boxes and found no life at or around any of them, not a single Pied Flycatcher in sight. No Redstart, and no Dipper seen on the Marshaw Wyre. My records also read, no House Martin at Tower Lodge for the second year running, and no Cuckoo. 

Last year I had 3 Cuckoo seen together at Marshaw on 12 June, and observed interaction between the birds. Two hours later I heard 2 Cuckoos calling in the Tower Lodge area but couldn't rule out duplication. 

But it was a pleasing sight to chance upon a male Pied Flycatcher emerging from a natural nest hole rather than a box, though despite my hanging around a few minutes it didn't return. 

Positives.

Now the good stuff....I had a count of 24 species, just about an average count for the area on a spring day. Pride of place for top spot were 2 Spotted Flycatcher which were seen as a pair, and quite an early date for these birds to be here, and already on territory when all others of the species are only being reported in recent days on passage.

Spotted Flycatcher. Pete Woodruff.

But todays two doesn't match the number of 12 Spotted Flycatcher found here 7 years ago in June 2018, when the Tower Lodge area was leading the way as the top spot for the Spotted Flycatcher in our recording area, but hasn't done so since.

Running a close 2nd place were up to 16 Crossbill, they exploded out of the tree as a heavy goods vehicle thundered by, they flew off with their characteristic and explosive 'chip-chip' flight call, the ground at the base of the tree was littered with pine cones.

There was a healthy number of Sand Martin at Marshaw, with House Martin and Swallow around the farm. Other notes on the day, 4 Common Sandpiper might amount to three breeding pairs by the time of my next visit, 5 Grey Wagtail were not particularly exciting in such small number, up to 6 Willow Warbler, a Goldcrest, 5 Mistle Thrush included a recently fledged young, a Song Thrush, and a lone Redpoll.

Butterflies.

A pitiful four individuals, best of which was a Small Copper, with 2 Green-veined White and an Orange Tip.

On my way back to Lancaster, I called in at Stoops Bridge, to find 3 Blackcap, all singing males....Pump up the volume!

Garden Interest.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Not at all the least interesting was a Large Red Damselfly found near our small urban garden pond, also a Green-veined White, and a Sparrowhawk over. 

Light Brown Apple Moth. Pete Woodruff.

Another nice surprise was the Light Brown Apple Moth. The origins of this moth is Australia, probably accidentally introduced into Cornwall in the 1930's. Today it can be found regularly in many parts of the country.

From The Archives.

Wall Brown. Pete Woodruff.

Looking through my older files I found this image of a Wall Brown. It is the last record of the species, seen at Cockers Dyke 8 years ago August 2017.

My thanks to Simon Hawtin for the header image of the brilliant male Crossbill.